Cavaliers in a good spot

Cleveland first in 28 years to have 2 picks in top 4

Published 12:40 am, Thursday, June 23, 2011

NEW YORK -- Just in case the Cleveland Cavaliers need it, here's some advice for what to do with those two high picks.

Take Kyrie Irving first, grab Turkish big man Enes Kanter fourth, and start enjoying the postseason success you used to have when LeBron James was around.

"If I play with Kyrie, I believe we can make playoffs," Kanter said Wednesday. "I know we can make playoffs."

Or instead, pass on Irving and go with Arizona's Derrick Williams, who can play inside or out, either forward spot, and would bring the mixture of power and athleticism back to your frontcourt that was lost when James left.

"I feel like I am the most overall ready in this spot by my size and ready to make an impact," Williams said.

Even in what's considered a less-than-stellar NBA draft, the Cavaliers have plenty of options Thursday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., when they become the first team since the 1983 Houston Rockets with two picks in the top four.

They're expected to start with Irving, considered the favorite since the Cavaliers won the lottery last month. Though the Duke point guard played just 11 games during his freshman season because of a toe injury on his right foot, the numbers he put in his limited time seem too good to pass up.

"It definitely feels good, you know, knowing that I'm still projected to go No. 1," Irving said. "We'll see how it goes tomorrow, but it's an honor to be at the No. 1 spot right now."

The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 17.5 points while shooting 53 percent from the floor, 46 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent from the foul line.

"Playing in the NCAA Tournament was the deciding factor for me," Irving said. "If I didn't play in the NCAA Tournament, I would have been back at Duke for my sophomore season. I just wanted to kind of limit all the questions on my health and durability."

Labor: Union officials said Wednesday that NBA players and owners are about $7 billion apart over a 10-year span in their most recent proposals, a significant gap to close to avoid a work stoppage.

So far apart in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement that union president Derek Fisher said when players are briefed on the state of the talks, they are in "total disbelief" and ask why they even bother having meetings.

"When we put our spreadsheets up, we put it on the board, we lay it out, everybody's at a loss for how to even begin to close this gap," the Lakers' guard said.

They have only until June 30, when the current CBA expires, and they'll take another crack at it during another session Friday.